At last some of our Board of Education members at ECPS have given voice to major problems in our school system! That is really refreshing and bridge-building. However, we have always known of these problems. They just weren`t being addressed. Heretofore, Board of Education meetings have borne a striking resemblance to Tarboro Town Council meetings. There is always a lot of talk about budgets in terms the public does not understand and could care less about. Never anything about the nuts and bolts of educating our children. I would love to know what was done during the 2008-2009 school year to reduce suspensions and why it failed so miserably. Janet Morris, how about better teaching and educators and more of each? You just want more testing. I believe the word is “assess”, the Black students more.

Chairwoman Evelyn Wilson echoed Judge Howard Manning in saying,” the students can`t learn if they are not in school”. I wish she had said that before the 2006-2007 school year.

Student Suspensions 2008-2009 School Year:

Martin Middle 593

West Edgecombe Middle 596

Tarboro High 396

South West Edgecombe High 381

North Edgecombe High 258

Question: How many at each of the rest of the schools?

Why is Mrs. Evelyn Wilson so shocked? Forget about the laptops. Those laptops were supposed to help keep children in school. Remember? Forget about everything else. Start teaching.

Annual Yearly Progress ( Met federal standard for school yr.)

Edgecombe Early College

Phillips Middle

Princeville Montessori

West Edgecombe Middle ( 596 suspensions )

Stocks Elementary

Tarboro High ( 396 suspensions )

South Edgecombe Middle

Carver Elementary

From total of 14 Schools I believe.

2008-2009 School Year ( 3rd thru 12th grades )

Black students failed their tests at a rate of 26.01 % higher than White students.

2007-2008 School Year

Black Students failed their tests at a rate of 23.79 % higher than White students.

Has anyone considered that perhaps this all started when the first slave ship landed in the Western Hemisphere? AND perhaps the Civil War is still being fought, just in a different way? I have noticed that our White brothers on the Board of Education and on the Tarboro Town Council have very little to say about anything. On the Board of Education nobody really speaks about anything educationally constructive. UNTIL the 10th of August. So, it is quite refreshing to read some real news from the Board of Education, even though it is dismal. Haven`t heard anything from the town council except attempts at deception and signs of ineptness .

When you consider what is going on in Tarboro government and in Edgecombe County Public Schools, consider the following:

The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) did not free all the slaves, only those who could make it behind the lines of the Union troops.

The 13th Amendment ( Dec. 18th 1865 ) finally freed all slaves Constitutionally, even though they were considered free by July of 1865. There were approximately 4 million of our ancestors freed. This amendment PERMANANTLY abolished involuntary servitude and PROHIBITED slavery.

The 14th Amendment ( 1868 ) was the “Civil Rights ACT” of 1868. IT banned discrimination, regardless of race, color or religion.

The 19th Amendment , first introduced in 1878, was supposed to give women the right to vote. That finally happened on August 18th 1920.

And STILL, this country felt it necessary to pass the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act in 1964 and 1965 ! Not permanent, mind you. They are renewable ! We have about two dozen years left. So, learn from our Jewish brothers and sisters. LEARN. GET SMART! Become financially independent. SAVE your money, regardless of what anybody tries to sell you. At least for the next two dozen years. Those Acts might not be renewed.

Home schooling and Edgecombe County Public Schools could have been good for everyone who wanted them if it hadn`t been for those “pesky” slave ships. Too bad. If only we could have come through Ellis Island like everyone else. Well, at least it would have been better than those “pesky” slave ships.